NEWSGROUPS AND WHAT THEY ARE ALL ABOUT!! (COM125; ASSIGNMENT #2)

NEWSGROUPS AND WHAT THEY ARE ALL ABOUT!! (COM125; ASSIGNMENT #2)

What is it?

Newsgroups can be defined as “a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. The term is somewhat confusing, because it is usually a duscussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on the World Wide Web.” (reference)


How they work!

Usually newsgroups are organized under specific topics. For example you might join a newsgroup titled “House decorating” if you were interested in decorating your house. Usually you do not have to pay for use of these services. Mostly anyone can join and it provides an easy means of information. “Newsgroup servers are hosted by various organizations and institutions. Most Internet service providers host their own news server, or rent access to one, for their subscribers. There are also a number of companies who sell access to premium news servers.” (reference).

Where it all began!

Newsgroups have been around for a long time, although they haven’t become all that popular up until recently. “There are presently more than 120,000 groups within Usenet and only a few providers carry them all. The newsgroup history dates back to 1979, when Usenet was just a simple computer network used to connect several computers in a number of universities. Usenet users then had the ability to only transmit text, in the form of discussion forums. The newsgroups have since evolved and now provide surfers with the ability to transfer large binary files, such as movies, software, mp3s, videos, games, and much more.” (reference). Newsgroups make our lives easier since we can now rule out downloading programs such as limewire which tend to have viruses attached to them. The internet we use today has been influenced by this technology development because we now use forums and blogs to share our thoughts and ask others questions. Newsgroups were the beginning to a whole new means of communication among people through the internet.

Their advantages!

There are quite a few advantages with using newsgroups. The first and I’d say the most important advantage is having the ability to communicate with so many people interested in the same topic you are. When questioning whether or not to buy something, you can ask hundreds of people how the product works since they have already bought it. You can get advice on certain topics as well as share information you have that you want to spread to others.